Of Bats and Dogs
by also known as Momma
Summary: What if Snape had arrived not after the Dark Lord killed Lily Potter but right before? And what if the magic became confused and left Snape with certain side effects? Lily lives but at what price? Warnings include but are not limited to SLASH, foul language, dirty minds, a slight confusing case of incest and creature blood! Oh my! Main pairing is Severus/Harry & lots of minor ones
1. Prologue

Summary: I know that the whole time turner thing has been done to the point of breaking, as has the Snape-accidentally-turning-younger-because-of-a-stray-potion (was that total hypen abuse or what?), so here's my spin on something somewhat new... What if Snape had arrived not after the Dark Lord killed Lily Potte,r but right before? And what if the magic became confused and left Snape with certain side effects? Lily lives but at what price? Warnings include but are not limited to SLASH, foul language, dirty minds, and a slight confusing case of incest (VERY confusing). Main pairing is Severus/Harry, with a whole lot of minor pairings including Ron/Harry and Draco/Severus. This story will have some dark material but I am an eternal optimist so even if I wanted to I wouldn't be able to make it last too long.

Any questions or concerns please feel free to message me at yomama6209 and I'll try to be prompt with replies!

*AN: **When I first posted the first part I didn't realize I had left off the end! I'm really really sorry guys! Here's the updates version! 3**

**Prologue**

October seemed to come quickly this year, not that Severus was really paying much mind to the calendar these days. Indeed he might have ignored the month altogether if his body didn't nag him about how cold it was, especially since the fire in his living room was never lit and he barely had the energy or the willpower to light the damn thing. Ever since he had heard that damned prophecy Severus couldn't stand looking at things that reminded him of _her_. Not the many different reds of a flickering fire that reminded him of the highlights in her hair or the green of his peeling wallpaper which in no way matched her shade of eyes but still managed to mock him every time he bothered to look around his dusty old house. Indeed he would rise up and tear the walls down if he thought it would do any good, but he knew it wouldn't...

Perhaps one of these cold, dark nights he would crack and set the walls on fire and then burn in his memories of her- figuratively and literally.

That thought made Severus' face feel stiff, particularly around his mouth and the corners of his eyes and he raised a shaky hand to lightly touch the offending areas. Sure enough the discomfort came from an honest to God grin- when had been the last time he had pulled such a reaction from his long face? Did this mean that he was cracking already? But he didn't have enough fire wood for the burning of his beloved shack just yet...

His hand dropped back onto the armrest of the chair he was sprawled on and Severus let his head fall back, staring bemusedly up at the ceiling. Severus sat like that for minutes, or maybe they were hours, he wasn't too sure. All the newly made Potions Master knew was that one moment he was on the verge of blissful oblivion and the next he was sitting bolt upright, hissing in pain and clutching his arm. It was over in what seemed like no time at all but it left him dizzy and disoriented, his loud gasps echoing through the otherwise silent living room.

Lily.

Something was wrong, something that he had been assured would not happen involving his former childhood friend. Snape rose quickly from his chair and began pacing, bringing a hand up to his lips and chewing on his thumb nail as he thought frantically on what to do. Could he have imagined it? The pain was already gone, no trace left, and he had been so close to sleep that it might have even been imagined. Was it worth it to go hunting down the mangy mutt and demanding to see his old flame and her happily-ever-after family?

But what if it wasn't just a delusional stray thought? What if she was...

With a mental image of Lily Potter lying bleeding on the floor, Snape snatched up his cloak and was out the door in the blink of an eye.

...

Sirius Black hated Severus Snape, absolutely, equivocally, without conviction. Severus Snape was a bad, bad man.

Sirius growled softly under his breath as Snape's wand tip pushed harder into his back and he picked up his pace, the both of them looking like an odd couple with their arms linked walking down the street to Godric's Hallow this Halloween evening. Children all dressed up in ghoulish, ghostly glory racing around them, casting them odd looks but not paying the weird adults much mind since there was candy everywhere! All they had to do was knock on strangers' doors!

Severus had shown up at Sirius' favorite drinking pub of choice and demanded, in no uncertain tones, that he was to escort him to James' and Lily's pad. If it were anyone else Sirius would have let the man kill him than give up the location of his best friends' hiding place, however the look on Severus' face made him finally relent. The man had been Lily's childhood best friend and in his heart, despite what he thought of the other man, he knew Severus would would never bring her harm... Hopefully.

As they finally made it to the Potters' house, the tense silence almost too much for Sirius to bear, the man let out a relieved sigh and looked over at Snape as he held open the front gate. "You know James is going to kick your ass for showing up and ruining their first Halloween with little Harry," Sirius said, an evil grin reaching from ear to ear as Severus breezed past him and the safety wards.

Any retort Severus was about to oh-so-lovingly dole out was halted by the scene that greeted him. Past the protective wards that had seemed to him too shaky to be of any use lay a house as cutsey and quaint as all the others on that street, except for the fact that the front door was blown off of it's hinges and a body lay in the entrance, blood coating the plush white rug and the cobblestones outside.

"PRONGS!" Sirius yelled out and rushed to his best friend's side, scooping the now dead man into his arms and petting back the man's hair, as if that were going to change anything. Severus didn't have time to lament over the death of his greatest childhood tormentor though as he realized whatever had killed James Potter was probably still in the house... with Lily...

Severus leapt over James' body and hurried into the house, flying up the stairs and past two empty bedrooms and into what was obviously a baby boy's room and filled to the brim with people. It wasn't a large room by any means, but in it's former time as a simple nursery it had been warm and cheerful, like any loving family should provide. Now however it was a room of chaos, with a Dark Lord towering over a heavily bleeding Lily Potter who was clutching a screaming one year old to her chest, it's mop of black hair a clear indicator of who it's father had been.

"My lord!" Severus screamed out, quickly reaching the three and stumbling into the Dark Lord Voldemort, throwing the man away from Lily and her child. "Please my Lord, no!"

Lord Voldemort pushed the black haired man off of him and into the wall, his wand now pointed at his supposedly loyal servant's chest. "Severus, how dare you! How the Hell did you get in here?!" Voldemort hissed out, his red eyes narrowing at the other man. Severus held up both hands and stepped in front of Lily who was still on the floor, her wide green eyes turned up to him with hope and desperation. "Please, Sev, please help me! Please save my baby!" Lily reached up a shaky hand and urgently tugged on Severus' robes, her other arm still wrapped tightly around her baby, shielding the still crying baby with her body and now his.

Severus wanted to drop to his knees and comfort his childhood friend but he couldn't take his eyes from the Dark Lord's, his body shaking on the inside but on the outside he remained a strong force to be reckoned with. "My Lord," Severus spoke again, staring plaintively up at his Master. "Please, you promised... Not Lily... Take the child but leave her." Lily let out a wail of despair and let go of Severus' robes, wrapping both arms around her son and twisting her body to try and shield him even more as her sobs wretched through the air.

The Dark Lord raised a brow at Severus then looked at the red haired woman on her knees behind him, a shot of cruel triumph flashing through his eyes. He brought his gaze back up to look at Severus and grinned cruelly before saying, "If you can get the brat away from her then I'll gladly leave her for you, my _loyal servant_." Lily chose this moment to rise to her feet, her eyes feirce and her gaze steady as she ignored Snape altogether and glared at Lord Voldemort. "Kill me then, because I will never **ever** let your filthy hands on my son!"

Severus raised his hand as if to slap her into submission but the Dark Lord took that moment to fire off the Killing Curse. After that everything else was a blur... Lily's magic seemed to wrap around her and Harry, protecting them from the brunt of the Killing Curse, making the rest backfire at Voldemort and Severus who still stood in between. The Dark Lord flew backwards through the door and down the hall, clutching at his eyes before falling unconscious; Severus stumbled backwards before he was gripped by a staggering pain. He reached out a hand and tried to take a hold of Lily but his aim missed and instead he grabbed little Harry's arm. Lily's head whipped around and her mind went blank as she fell to the floor in a heap, only little baby Harry remaining awake to witness the aftermath...

...

Lily awoke with a groan, a hand coming up to rub at her forehead. She had such a pounding headache, it felt as if her head were being ripped apart and it started right at her hairline. Opening her eyes, Lily dizzily stared up at the ceiling until a chubby little hand entered her line of sight. Looking over, Lily smiled sleepily at her baby boy, who was sitting by her head, still held protectively in her arms until she took in the blood covering half of his face and the neckline of his onsie. Lily sat bolt upright and clutched little Harry to her, new tears coming to her eyes as she wiped the blood off of her smiling baby's face with the cuff of her long sleeve. "Oh my poor baby boy... What did that monster do to you?" She whimpered and heard a pounding of footsteps and then a loud gasp.

Sirius has finally managed to drag himself away from his dead best friend's body when he heard the explosion. He raced up stair, ashamed with himself for getting so caught up in his grief and forgetting completely about his wife and child upstairs fighting for their lives. When he got to the top of the stairs Sirius stopped and gasped at what lay at his feet- the Dark Lord Voldemort, very much alive but eyes closed and chest heaving. Blood was all over the dark lord's face, along with long fresh scratches apparently from the man's own nails if his bloody hands were anything to go by.

Heaving out a great breath, Sirius edged around the fallen man, afraid that at any moment he would pop up and attack like an evil villain in one of those cheesey muggle movies. Finally past the man and down the hall, Sirius raced into baby Harry's bedroom and had to stop again at the scene. Lily sat on the floor with her son bloodied but looking none the worse save for a lightening bolt scar on his forehead. The woman herself looked to be in one piece as well, except her normally pale skin seemed to glow in the dark room and her once beautiful shimmering red hair was now streaked with gray and white hair.

Sirius slumped against the door frame as the relief coursed through his body. James was dead but at least Lily and the Potter heir remained. He let out a deep breath and ran his hands through his long black hair, feeling his legs go weak from so many emotions happening in such quick succession. Once he was sure that Lily and Harry were alright, Sirius let his eyes roam around the room to look for the annoying Snivellus but frowned when he only spotted the man's robes. "What the hell..?" He breathed out and slowly pushed himself away from the door frame, stumbling closer to where Lily and Harry were.

Sirius' exclamation was enough to pull Lily's attention from her now clean baby boy. She looked to the man and then to where Severus had fallen, her eyes going wider as she noticed the clothes. "Oh no... Severus..." Switching Harry to one arm, Lily used her now free one to reach forward and shift Severus' robes aside before letting out a gasp at what was revealed.

"Holy shit!" Sirius exclaimed when he caught sight and sunk down to his knees, crawling over to sit beside Lily and Harry and stare down in wonder at the small black haired baby boy with a prominent nose and searching large black eyes. Lily reached up and whacked Sirius over the head without looking at him, saying without pause, "Watch your mouth Padfoot." Sirius rubbed the back of his head and pouted but Lily ignored him and reached out to the baby Severus with her hand again, gently stroking his little cheek and smiling when he continued giggling after Lily had reprimanded Sirius. "Oh yeah, that's him alright," Sirius huffed out.

Suddenly there was a crash from downstairs and voices floated up the stairs to the pair. Quickly Lily scooped up baby Severus and, with both arms full of children, she stood up and motioned for Sirius to do the same. "Distract them while I hide Severus- if we let them see him then he'll be locked away like some damned experiment!" Sirius nodded his understanding even though he didn't see why that was such a bad idea, but Lily was pushing him out the door and sending him downstairs. Kicking the Dark Lord out of her way, Lily shuffled her two young charges into her and James' bedroom to find an adequate hiding spot for baby Severus, who seemed more than content to lay in her arms with baby Harry, switching between sending the other little boy confused and reservedly happy looks.

*A/N2: _So what did you guys think? I know it's a bit of a rocky start but I haven't seriously sat down to write in almost two years so... yeah... If anyone is available to act as a Beta- and a quick one at that! then please let me know in your review! Thanks! Also I have this posted on the Adult version of so if you'd like the link please let me know._


	2. Chapter 1: Five Years Later

A/N: _So here's another chapter just to get things rolling a bit more quickly. This one has also not been beta read so please bear with the mistakes, as I know they're probably plentiful_

_Also if you read this story and find yourself liking it and want to see more please leave me a review so I know I'm doing something right. However if you think this story needs improvement I'd be more than happy to hear your constructive criticism. _

_Now I know I didn't place the full warnings in the subtitles but that's because this story is unraveling as I write it and only a few are set in stone. So to recap, the main pairing will be Harry/Severus(Cyril), there will be bouts of incest because of this but the boys are NOT blood related! There will be underage sexual situations but nothing will start until the boys are much older! And finally Voldemort will be darker in this story then he was portrayed in the books/movies, this is because everything changed the night he went to kill Harry so things must be adjusted to fit. _

_Enjoy chapter one and don't forget to review!_

* * *

__**Chapter One: Five Years Later**

It's been five years since that fateful Halloween night and when Lily tried to look back on all of that time it seemed to be nothing but a blur. She laid in her and her husband's large four poster bed with a warm body on either side, tucked against her sides and breathing calmly in their deep sleeps. Lily had an arm around each of her little boys and was softly stroking their black hair away from their foreheads, looking from one to the other with a furrowed brow but love in her cloudy green eyes.

Harry lay tucked against her left side with an arm thrown over her abdomen, his little fingers caressing his brother's cheek with every breath she took. Harry was her pride and joy, her bright warm light at the end of a long, cold and dark tunnel that had been losing James. He was the spitting image of his late father, down to the high cheekbones, arched brows, quirked lips that always seemed to be on the verge of a grin, and his mop of messy black tangles. Lily stroked his hair fondly and grinned when her finger hit let another snag. She could brush and brush until her hands fell off and yet his hair would always stay the same. The only thing she had found that helped was letting the wild mass grow out, which seemed to calm the curly demons.

And his personality was just as light and wild as his hair. Rarely would you see the boy frowning, even after he had scraped yet another knee or fallen off of yet another tree, Harry would simply pause, brush himself off, and then go at it again with that same innocent stubbornness his father showed when he was a young boy.

Lily looked to her right and her eyes seemed to darken some as she took in the boy laying stiff and cool, as if he had been forced to lay beside her rather than crawling into her bed along with his brother during the storm like what had happened. However the boy had his reasons, life had not been kind to the former Severus Snape. Sure he was now in a loving, happy home, the likes of which he had never had before his "rebirth". However the boy seemed unable to tolerate it for very long, often times hiding away in his room like a mini hermit.

Lily's heart went out to her former childhood friend as she thought back on that fateful night and everything that had happened since then.

While she had sent Sirius downstairs to distract the aurors, Lily had run past Lord Voldemort's still spasming body and into the bedroom she shared with the now deceased James Potter, the still bleeding Harry and the newly transformed Severus in her arms, along with his robes and wand. She quickly made a hiding spot for him in a little hidey hole inside of her large walk in closet. Making sure that he was safe and secure, Lily fed him a small amount of sleeping potion and locked the door, casting disillusionment spells and warding charms.

After that things went quickly and a little too perfectly. She went downstairs to join Sirius and give her version of what happened, leaving Severus Snape's name completely out of it. They collected the Dark Lord, carting him off to Azkaban to await trial and then Albus Dumbledor arrived. Filled with relief, Lily and Sirius quickly sat the old wizard down and told him the truth, showing him Severus Snape's toddler form, robes, and wand. Lily put Harry to bed beside Severus and the adults stayed up the rest of the night, discussing what to do...

That had been five years ago and now Lily found herself the mother of two boys instead of one and a wife to Sirius Black. Albus had agreed that ti was best to hide what happened to Severus until they could find a way to reverse it, but in the meantime that meant that they needed to concoct a plausible story to explain where Severus had gone and where this new baby had come from. So the story was that Sirius had had an illict affair with a famous muggle actress and that the woman became pregnant. Not being able to care for the baby herself, the muggle had turned to Sirius to raise their son. After James' death Sirius was supposedly overcome with grief that he moved in with Lily and Harry to help raise the two boys together and provide a stable household for the two families.

Albus also told that, after a year, it would be in their best interest to marry each other as to better keep the secret.

So here Lily was, married to her late husband's best friend, living happily ever after in the house he was murdered in, and demanded to act as if nothing had even happened. Lily clutched the two boys tighter to her, Harry letting out a little sigh at the contact and Severus grunting in annoyance.

No, not Severus anymore... It would be too odd to call the boy his former name, so Lily had had to choose another one. And it had to be Lily's choice, since Sirius had been absolutely no help, wanting to call the boy "Snivel Jr" and other such nonsense. Apparently his grudge for the adult Snape had transferred over to the baby, which made for a very tense household on most days. Sirius would refuse to do anything for the boy, instead turning to Harry and doling out presents, sweets, favors, whatever the child wanted. He would often say that taking care of the "baby greasy git" was Lily's decision and that she should take responsibility. Lily knew that it was only because he refused to see that Peter had betrayed them and instead blamed Severus, even though the man had come to their aid...

Lily knew in her heart the truth but there was nothing she could do so she simply but her best foot forward and tried any way she could to make baby Cyril feel loved and part of a family. Thankfully Harry seemed to take after his mother's lead and went out of his way to love on his big brother and Lily couldn't be prouder. Cyril didn't just have to put up with a cold and distant "father" but also being sick once a month when he had to take a watered down polyjuice potion, which gave him certain facial features of Sirius to make their story more believable.

Of course the poor boy didn't know what the potion was, they had simply told him that he needed it to fight off a very tricky blood disease. However Cyril's body didn't respond well to the potion and often left the boy dry heaving all day and overcome with shortness of breath, chills, and dizzy spells.

Like everything else in her life now, Lily just couldn't find a way around it and so she simply had to be strong for her boys and hope for the best.

Thunder struck outside outside, closer than before, and Cyril jerked in his sleep, his arm also reaching over Lily's abdomen like little Harry's but instead of laying limp it gripped her tightly, the sound of a soft whimper muffled as he pressed his face against her side. Lily quickly started rubbing circles on his back and murmured comforting words while the storm raged on around them. Sirius would be spending the night at his mistress' house again so she didn't need to worry about him coming home and starting a scene with having Cyril in their bed...

Lily didn't know if she was thankful or cursed.

* * *

Five years... Or maybe it was ten... Hell, why not make it twenty for all the good it would do...

No, no it was five, definitely five whole years...

The Dark Lord was kept in the lowest dungeon of Azkaban, where even the ground below had given away to the cold torment of the land and on a good day the icy sea water that seeped into his cell only came up to his bare toes... On most days though it was up past his hips, the freezing temperature tearing away at his skin while he heard the selkies just past those thin stone walls, scratching... scratching...

For five long years the Dark Lord has hung there by his bleeding wrists, kept alive only because his wizard captors refused to let him die, force feeding him potions that made his stomach feel like it was turning itself inside out and his blood boil...

The cell was dark and that's all he could make out about the room, since that fateful night his eyes had turned a milky white with blindness... Now all he could "see" was if his cell was dark or light... Mostly it was always dark these days...

Throughout the first year wizards had come and gone, to see the spectacle, to cast a few curses they considered to be dark, or to simply cower in fear before racing out of the room... Oh yes, he was still a force to be reckoned with, chained and bleeding though he might be. The Dark Lord Voldemort could still invoke fear in those stupid enough to enter his cell, which is why through the years the visitors had tapered off and he was left to his cold, wet and painful self...

But he could feel **them**... Those two he had... _touched._

And he would escape... And he would find them...

*A/N: _So what do you guys think? I promise in the next chapter you'll finally get to see our character interacting and showing some, er, brotherly love- as only the former Snape and Harry can do!_

_Cheers!_


	3. Chapter 2: Like Night and Day pt 1

*A/N: _So here's another chapter lickety split! I was actually going to wait at least another day before posting it but _Howl of Time _sent me my first review for this story so I figured this could be a celebration chapter! Once again this has not been Beta read yet but I do have one in the words so please bear with me this last time. ;) _

_Finally you'll get to see a semi-normal day in the Potter-Black household! My apologies if this drags on a bit..._

* * *

__**Chapter Two: Like Night and Day  
**_part one_

Harry wasn't good at a lot of things such as cooking, gardening, responsibilities, ect. He knew this, his family knew this, and the boy had come to terms with these hard truths early on in life. Needless to say Harry was a bit of an "instant gratification" kind of boy, he expected results right away and then moved on to the next task like a stubborn little bull, working hard until the job was done.

Cyril on the other hand was Harry's polar opposite. He could start a million slow moving tasks and time it perfectly so he that came full circle just as the first task was nearly ready, and if in order to reach his goal Cyril had to be patient and dedicated, well he didn't mind one bit, his eye never leaving that of the prize.

Each boy had their winning qualities and their flaws, seeming to reverse the other in every single way except three thing.

They both had a knack for the arts. They loved a good challenge. And they were loyal to each other almost to a fault.

As far as music went, Harry and Cyril's knack of continuously being different prevailed yet again as Harry was gifted with dancing and singing and Cyril could pick up any instrument and master it within days along with being able to draw a stunning likeness of practically anything. Of course if it hadn't been for Lily then either boy probably never would have discovered their gifts at all seeing as how she was always trying to expand their horizons... Particularly in Cyril's case...

As for challenges, the boys were always pushing the other to improve in whatever they did, even if it was as much as weeding the garden- a task usually set aside as punishment but one Cyril found he secretly enjoyed. Harry would boast and get on his brother's nerves until Cyril would eventually try to top him in order to shut him up, and Cyril for his part would use sarcasm and trickery to manipulate Harry into things.

Lastly, as for their loyalty, Lily found it to be endearing at first when they were still small but, as they grew, so did their naughty deeds. Sneaking out at night, fighting at the playgrounds, hiding snakes in the basement- Lily had put her foot down at that right away! It was when the boys were six years old that she found them downstairs, surrounded by hissing snakes of every size and color. Lily had done what any good witch mother would have and banished them all away, but then Harry had started to cry for his lost friends and Cyril had held his little brother close, glaring up at Lily as if she had done something wrong! Later she found out that Harry had the Snake Tongue gift, a trait only Salazar Slytherin's family line was able to possess, and she realized that Voldemort had left more than physical scars on her and her children. She told Harry and Cyril that they could have one pet each and sighed in resignation when Harry had picked a snake from the apothecary the next day, while Cyril had chosen a large intimidating owlet that was sure to grow into a monster one day.

The row she and Sirius had had after that had been dreadful, but Harry wouldn't give up his new pet. "Daddy Padfoot will just have to deal!" The little boy had finally shouted and walked away with a long black and white snake draped around his shoulders and Sirius had been left speechless.

And as the boys grew, so did Cyril's intolerance to his "blood replenishing" potion. The poor boy was sick almost five days out of every month with dry heaves, weakness, cramps, and dizzy spells. And through those days and long nights Harry could be found right by his brother's side, getting him whatever he needed and doing everything in his power to distract the other from his sickness. The facade remained but Lily's guilt grew along with them and she just knew one day she would snap.

* * *

Harry raced down the stairs, a large grin on his face, his green eyes bright with excitement, and his shoulder length black hair flying out behind him as he flew through the house. He took a corner at break neck speed and crashed head long into a warm, breathing wall. Blinking up owlishly at his father, Harry grinned and allowed his hair to be ruffled by Sirius' large hand.

Chuckling at the sight of little Prongslet, Sirius beamed down at Harry and hooked his hands under the boy's arms, bringing him up until they were nose to nose. Sirius gave a playful sniff to Harry's temple and said with a laugh, "Looks like nothing's damage, nothing but that head of yours and I bet all of that hair was enough cushioning to save ya! All that long hair though, gotta talk to yer mom about getting you a proper haircut!"

Sirius teased the boy good naturally and sat Harry back on the soft carpet, raising up a hand and pulling gently on a lock of black hair sticking out of the mess. Harry swatted the man's hand away and grinned roguishly as he covered his head with both hands as if expecting a pair of attacking scissors to follow Sirius' words. "Afraid not, old man! I like my hair like this! It's makes me look dashing! Debonair!"  
In all honesty Harry didn't care about his hair at all, but the fact that his mother took so much pride in them made Harry want to keep them the way they were and keep her happy. Besides, the girls in the village seemed to like them just fine if their fingers and simpering smiles were anything to go by. Harry wasn't too sure what he felt about all of that but it was nice of them to make such a fuss.

Cyril chose that moment to make his way down the stairs, at a much more dignified pace and manner than his little brother, who often times sounded like a baby troll learning to run. And, by all of the bruises his brother was always covered in, Harry had just as much grace! The only time he managed a modicum of dignity was when he was on a broom. Smiling softly at the thought, Cyril straightened a cuff and looked down at the bottom of the stairs and around the corner to where he could hear his father and Harry going at it- it was almost enough to wipe the smile off of his face but Cyril forced it to stay, knowing it annoyed the man to see it there.

Sirius Black hated him, his own son, and Cyril for the life of him had no idea why. Supposedly he had come from a very famous muggle actress and his father's illict affair but every time he asked the man for details he ran into what felt like a brick wall. Sirius would list off a name one time he asked, then change it to another the next time he tried to speak with him about it. And the way he blatantly ignored Cyril in favor of Harry would have probably driven the taller boy to madness if he had ever known any different, however ever since birth Sirius Black had never changed in his manor to his blood-related son.

And if Cyril were a normal boy, he figured with all of these situations combined that he would **hate** Harry, however innocent the other boy was in the grand scheme of his daddy issues... But Cyril couldn't. Merlin help him, he loved his little brother, and that only added to the confusion of his weird life and their messed up family dynamics.

As he finally reached the bottom, Cyril spotted Harry underneath Sirius' large arm and quirked a brow before pointedly walking around the two, ignoring his brother's cries for help from Cyril even though there was no way he could have seen him enter the hallway. Their bond was weird like that, even though they weren't blood related they always seemed to know when the other was in need and their location. And there was something else, something dark, at least there was for Cyril. It seemed to just be lurking there, a part of him and yet separate from him as well, a... parasite.

Cyril reached the kitchen and spotted his mother standing by the stove, her long red hair pulled back, the thick white and gray strands shining brightly as the morning light mixed with the ceiling lights to make her almost glow. She had never told them why her hair was so different but, when you grow up in the magical community, you simply come to accept these things. Cyril walked up beside her and leaned up on his tiptoes to give her a kiss on the cheek before picking up a potato and helping her skin, slice, and dice the vegetables into small cubes to be soaked in water for the rest of the day to be ready for the mashing for their dinner tonight. Without having to look, Cyril knew that steaks and shrimp were sitting in large bowls in the fridge, marinating in sauces and herbs so that they were ready for their special dinner tonight, his and Harry's going away dinner.

Letting out a sigh, Cyril finished with the potatoes and began dicing up the ham and peppers for their omelets this morning, not bothering to look up when he heard Harry and Sirius finally enter the kitchen. While Cyril always tried to look his best in button up shirts and dark pants, Harry had adopted Sirius' casual dress code and wore baggy jeans and big shirts, usually proudly depicting Quidditch teams, service products, or holes and stains from playing said sport.

"Mornin' Mom," Harry bounced up to Lily's other side and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding on tightly as he hugged her never mind that she had to awkwardly balance a skillet full of eggs in one hand and a bag of cheese in the other. But still she smiled down at her son and bent down to kiss the top of his messy head lovingly while Cyril snorted in amusement. "Good morning Harry dear. Sleep well?" Lily asked, finally shooing Harry away to finish their breakfasts. "Yup yup," Harry said with a grin, going over to Cyril's side and hoisting himself up on the counter so he was just barely in his brother's way but not enough to get him shooed off as well. Harry grinned down at Cyril who had started washing the dishes and leaned back on his hands while he spoke, "But Cyril didn't, he was making funny noises again."

Cyril shot a glare up at Harry before going back to watching what he was doing, careful not to let the small knife slip. "I slept just fine, thank you. And how would you know what noises I was making if you were so sound asleep and in the next room over, huh?" Quirking a brow, Cyril shot Harry a triumphant smirk and wiped his hands off on a dish towel before leaning against the counter and looking back up at his little brother. Harry mockingly raised his own brow as well, although it wasn't as easily done as Cyril managed to do, and crossed his arms over his chest. He let out a stubborn little huff of breath and looked out the window instead of down at Cyril's smug face. "Be_cause_ Cy, I just know!" Harry glanced out of the corner of his eye down at Cyril and then looked back out the window. "Owlzilla is coming," he warned quickly and jumped off of the counter just in time to avoid being bludgeoned by a feathery beast!

Adele flew gracefully through the open kitchen window, which was quite the feat considering how large of an owl she was. Cyril grinned down at Harry who lay sprawled out on the floor, his arms thrown over his head and butt up in the air, before offering up an arm for his pet to rest on. Lily giggled at the sight and unwound a kitchen towel from it's resting place, whiping it gently on her son's bottom to get his attention before turning back to Cyril. "Sweetheart you know I love your little Adele but I've told you before, she's much too large to be flying in that window. Train her properly because Harley and Ford need to be able to reach this room and a blocking charm would harm her every time she tried. Understand?" Cyril nodded quickly before rushing off to the living room, his pet almost too much for the eleven year old to carry.

* * *

After breakfast both Cyril and Harry were sent to their rooms to go over their lists and finish packing, and neither was allowed downstairs until both were completely done. Cyril, being quite the orderly perfectionist that he was, had been all packed and ready a week ago with only his tolietries and a few personal items remaining. Harry, being the little ball of energy and chaos they all knew and had come to love, was getting more unorganized by the minute- what with getting distracted by comic books, funny pictures his friends had given him, and his pet snake Porthos constantly wanting to be held and loved on...

An hour went by and Cyril held firm in his stand of not helping his little brother pack, the boy had to learn to take charge and be responsible, so for that first hour he rechecked all of his things, finished packing whatever he had left for the last minute, and continued reading his school books.

Another hour went by and Cyril was finding his patience being tested... But he was strong, he would outlast, he just needed to believe in his little brother...

At the end of the third hour Cyril had given up hope and marched across the hall, pulled open the door, and stared down at the sleeping preteen. Blinking in surprise, Cyril took in the sight of Harry laying sprawled out on his bedroom floor with little Porthos' head peeking out from beneath the collar of his brother's shirt, the two blissfully unaware of the chaos that surrounded them...

Books opened to various pages seemingly at random, papers with scribbles and doodles, clothes in small moutain-like heaps on the floor, toys covering every inch of free floor space there seemed to be... And the comic books! Where on earth had Harry gotten them all? And then Cyril remembered Harry's new friend Ron Weasely and slapped a hand to his face, biting back a groan. He knew, he just _knew_ nothing good was going to come out of that partnership!

Rather than waking his brother and beginning another useless row, Cyril merely found Harry's list and began packing away all of his things himself. And even though he was annoyed and fuming at being made to babysit once again, the big brother took care to step lightly around the little brother while he packed.

* * *

*A/N2: _So there you have it! Another chapter- that's makes 3 for 1 day! Since it's a holiday weekend I'll be running around with my son for most of it, however I'll try to update as soon as possible because I know how much waiting sucks. I'm currently in love with this one fic called A Twist Of Time with a Harry/Tom pairing and this little ficlet is actually inspired by her characters, although not fully since I don't have one bit of their talent. Anyways if you get some time please check it out! Also, as always, please review so I know there's something out there except the crickets! _

_Cheers!_


	4. Chapter 3: And Away We Go

*A/N: _Sorry it's been a few days guys but here's the third chapter and the fourth part... Thank you for the ones who reviewed, you are what made me want to upload this tonight instead of tomorrow night so yay to you! ;)_

_To clear up a few things yes I know that to have a swimming pool in England costs a pretty galleon but let us not forget that they are WITCHES and WIZARDS and thus magical- I love using that excuse! lol! Besides the Potters and Blacks are both insanely rich on their own, so just think of what they could be combined? $_$ _

_Someone might ask why they chose to keep Harry and Lily's original house then if they could simply buy another... Since Lily is a muggleborn I think she'd want to give Harry a stable and "normal" childhood as much as possible and it still has very strong blood wards, ones that might be difficult if near impossible to move to another house. _

_Enough ramblings, time for chapter 3!_

* * *

__**Chapter Three: And Away We Go**

Cyril sat the backyard of his childhood home, one leg raised up on the swinging seat he sat on, his other hung over in a relaxed position, his toes barely skimming over the long grass. It was Harry's turn to mow the lawn this week but his brother had of course forgotten amidst the chaos of packing and saying goodbye to friends and family... Cyril couldn't blame him, it had been one hell of a week, and even his patience had reached it's limits, which is why he was sitting alone outside at 9 o'clock at night.

Releasing out a sigh, Cyril stared up at the night sky and let his mind wander back to dinner...

_Harry and Cyril sat across the table from Lily and Sirius, with Remus Lupin on one end of the table, Godfather to both Harry and Cyril. All five were happily eating their steak and shrimp and assorted other delicacies that the family normally didn't have unless it was a holiday, birthday, or Lily felt the urge to go all Betty Crocker on them. Harry and Sirius were talking excitedly about Gryffindor house and who they knew would be best in which house. _

_The conversation was going on smoothly enough, with Harry asking so many questions that he was making it hard for the adults to eat, when Sirius pointed out that both he, Harry's father James, Lily and Remus had all been in Gryffindor, so Harry was sure to get into the house of the brave. And without missing a beat Harry wrapped his arms around Cyril's left arm with the boy in mid bite. "Gryffindor won't know what hit 'em with Cy and I in it!" Harry proclaimed happily, completely unaware of the looks Remus and Sirius were shooting the other boy, or the way Lily worriedly looked away, biting her lip in thought._

_Cyril did though. He could always see the looks and feel the weight of those long pauses._

_Shrugging out of his brother's embrace, Cyril glared at his father and said with venom, "What good is bravery if you don't have the cunning? You'd be just a house of fools running around without the brains to do any good." With that Cyril rose from his seat and left the table, leaving his food uneaten and their eyes trailing after him._

__Harry stood at the sliding glass doors, staring out at his brother in the backyard, swinging and staring off into space. A soft hand fell onto his shoulder and he looked up into his mother's face, smiling some as her thumb rubbed circles on his back. "It's okay hun," Lily said, leaning down and putting a kiss on the top of Harry's head. "He's just nervous for tomorrow and the boys weren't helping matters... Go upstairs and get ready for bed, okay?" Harry nodded and watched his mother open the door, closing it behind her and biting his bottom lip in thought.

The night was pleasantly cool but still held a bit of summer warmth on it's breeze, the scent of flowers and the sounds of crickets singing in the night as Lily walked around the pool and to the far side where Cyril sat. Crossing her arms over her chest, Lily smiled down at the boy and cleared her throat to get his attention, smiling when he finally looked her way. "Hullo handsome... This seat taken?" Lily gestured to the right of where Cyril was sitting and, at the shake of the head he gave her, sat down and kicked off of the ground to regain some lost momentum.

They both sat there for a few minutes, simply content in letting nature resume her orchestra before Lily moved her arm and wrapped it around her son's shoulders, bringing him closer to her. He rested his head against her chest after a tense moment and Lily brought up hand to card her fingers through his hair. "It's hard living in a lions' den isn't it love?" She said softly, staring out at the lit pool and a few of the moths fluttering above the calm surface. When Cyril nodded his head Lily smiled sadly and kissed his forehead. "But it's okay to be different... It's what makes us strong and so important to each other, and this goes for life at Hogworts and after. The prejudices you'll face in school because of those silly house rivalries won't matter when you leave that place, people won't be wearing colors afterwards to show you who is bad and who is good... What matters is what you feel inside. Do you understand?"

Cyril didn't reply right away but took a moment to think all of what she said over first. It was so like the same speech she always gave, tweaked here and there to fit their current conversation, so Cyril knew what she **wanted** him to say... With another nod, he pushed away from her supposed to be comforting embrace and looked away just as a green and white with black hair blur flew past him and dove into the pool!

Flinching back, Cyril stared at the spot his little brother had splashed into the pool before letting out a snort and smiling again. Their mother could talk until she was blue in the face but, if it weren't for Harry, Cyril would never believe that people could look beyond what they see. His father might always hate the sight of him, their mother might always pity him, and the other children might be intimidated by his mature personality- but Harry would always love him.

Harry's head broke out of the water and he gave Cyril the biggest smile his face could make. "Don't worry about school Cyril! We'll make a splash! Get it?"

Cyril let his head fall back with an exaggerated groan at the bad joke and Lily laughed and clapped her hands, the noise level in their cozy backyard skyrocketing when Sirius came out dragging Remus and both men fell in as well. Clearly bed time would be moving back some tonight...

* * *

**The Next Day**

****Harry and Cyril had just burst through the wall for Platform 9 & 3/4 when the Hogworts express let out it's final boarding whistle. "This is so your fault!" Cyril called out as they ran, pushing their trolley at break neck speed while Harry kept pace beside him, looking over his shoulder every few seconds and waving his arm excitedly as their mother waved them on. "Bye mum! BYE! Love you!" Harry shouted out, completely ignoring Cyril's comment until they were finally on the train and moving out of the station. Turning some, Harry shot his brother a glare and picked up his luggage, leaving Cyril to struggle with his own along with his owl's cage as they made their way down the corridor in search of a free compartment.

"And how was it my fault we had to run through the station like chickens on crack?" Harry asked with a frown, looking into the windows that they passed and waving hellos to people they knew from other families or kids they had met during their trips to Diagon Alley.

"Mum needs to stop letting you watch muggle tv, it's clearly corrupting your already fragile mind... And it was your fault because you kept everyone up late last night with that damn impromptu pool party! We were going to go to bed early last night so we could get a fresh start today. Now look at us, all sweaty and disheveled. You and that damn dog hugging and crying at home... Thank Merlin we made it at all!"

Cyril was about to continue complaining when he spotted Draco Malfoy up ahead, a cousin of his that he had only met once since his father hated that branch of his family. Still the two had clicked and had kept in correspondence through the years unlike Harry who had been allowed to visit and spend weeks at a time with his friends the Weaselys, Longbottoms, Lovegoods, ect. Cyril stepped away from Harry and raised a hand to get Draco's attention, who quickly spotted him as well and rushed forward, sending Harry a sour look before focusing all of his attention on Cyril. "Black! Good to see you again finally! What has it been, two years?" Draco gushed out, going to Cyril's other side and taking a hold of his arm, smiling up at the taller boy with large blue eyes.

Preening under all of the attention he wasn't used to getting, Cyril grinned down at the boy and nodded happily. "Two and a half I think! It's good to be back in some superior company again." Draco's grin seemed to widen at this and Harry frowned over at his brother, not sure if he should feel insulted or not. Draco was quick to cut in before he could speak up though. "Welcome back to the world of the refined my dear cousin! Why don't you come to the honorary Slytherin compartment with me?" Cyril was delighted and quick to agree but then looked over to Harry and saw his brother with his arms crossed and foot tapping, looking almost the spitting image of their mother in that moment with his green eyes flashing. "Ah, but my brother-"

"Will be more comfortable with the Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs I'm sure! They're such a cute and happy lot," Draco cut in smoothly, sending Harry a smirk and taking a hold of Cyril's arm tighter, beginning to steer him away. "Ta Harry, why don't you go find your little friend Weasel while the big boys talk?" And with that the two boys disappeared into a compartment down the corridor with a loud click and Harry was left by himself, fuming and hurt. It took him a moment before he realized Draco's slip of the tongue and, as if it mattered, yelled out in his friend's defense, "It's WEASELY!"

Red in the face, Harry whirled around and was about to stomp off, luggage be damned, when he ran right into a strong, warm, living wall. Long arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders and Harry blinked owlishly up into Ron Weasely's freckled, grinning face. "Ron!" He shouted happily and brought his arms up, hugging his friend excitedly. Ron returned the hug and laughed, ruffling Harry's hair as they pulled apart. "Harry mate I was looking all over for you at the station! Where were you? Ginny really wanted to see you and mum made you some new socks," at this Ron shrugged his shoulders and pulled out a pair of red and gold stripped socks, passing them over to a smiling Harry. "You never should have told her you liked Fred and George's clothes, now she won't stop making them! Particularly the socks!"

Harry laughed at that and put the socks in his luggage, happy with the colors since he really wanted to be in Gryffindor house and, apparently, so did everyone else. "It's cool Ron, I really do like them!And I'm sorry about the disappearing act, I'll explain it all as soon as we sit down. Do you know where everyone else is?" Ron bent down and picked up Harry's luggage with a grunt and a grin and nodded in the opposite direction of the Slytherin compartment. "This way mate, everyone's excited to see you! And there's been a ton of people who came by to see the famous 'Boy Who Lived'! Come on!" Ron said happily and started down the corridor, with Harry following a second later after a long look back at where his brother had disappeared, hoping that this wasn't a preview of what was to come...

* * *

*A/N: _Short chapter I know but it's either have them short and fast or long and hard- er, I mean slow! ;P_

_Which would you guys prefer? _

_Also I'm not sure if anyone has noticed but I'm going to be peppering this story with lots of slashy, flirty, and brotherly love moments. In no way does this mean an explicit scene is coming up in the near future, I just don't like stories that are WHAM! BAM! Thank you Ma'am! with the love scenes. Build up is key!_

_Any comments or questions please leave it in a review and I'll get back to you! Or just say that you're enjoying this, I'd love to hear from you!_

_Ciao~!_


	5. Chapter 4: Like Night and Day pt2

A/N:_ Hello again! So I tried reading over the past four chapters and realized that I really really need a Beta! Even if it's just going through the chapters after I post them, sending me a fixed copy, and then I'll replace the old with the new. *shrugs* Any help would be appreciated!_

* * *

__**Chapter Four: Like Night and Day (****_part two)_**

**__**The train ride took only a few hours but in that short span of time both brothers managed to unknowingly separate from each other further, their differences becoming more defined the more time they spent away from each other. In Cyril's cabin he was surrounded by future students of Slytherin, all members of pure blooded and prestigious families. To him it was like a breath of fresh air since he was always surrounded by Harry friends, their loud and rambunctious family, or the nosy people of Godric's Hallow- it was nice to be able to sit and enjoy a companionable silence or discuss world matters with these boys and girls who, like himself, preferred to take life more seriously. And all throughout the ride Draco Malfoy was by his side, taking up the spot Harry normally would have been. However unlike Harry, Draco had a more delicate nature, his words were softer spoken, and his gaze was cool and refreshing from Harry's hyper active and clingy nature.

Cyril could definitely get used to this.

In Harry's cabin though the boys were literally jumping off of the walls, Ron Weasely and Dean Thomas to be exact who had just tried some of Fred and George Weasely's newest creations Light As Air sugar balls. Harry and the others were having great fun folding paper airplanes and attempting to hit the two with them although it was made difficult since most of them couldn't stop laughing long enough to aim properly. Once the sugar balls were completely eaten the cabin didn't have a moment's peace, the boys instead moving on to discussing (arguing) Quidditch teams and who was best. Harry was having so much fun that he just knew school wasn't going to be as boring and stuffy as Cyril, the book worm, had made it out to be.

Harry could definitely get used to this!

* * *

The sun had set off in the distance just as the Hogworts Express pulled into the Hogsmead station, all of the children aboard having changed into their school robes and bustling to get out and, in some cases, see the wizarding town for the very first time. Harry was one of these kids, bouncing up on the balls of his feet to try and see over the heads of his new classmates to see the buildings but he was just too short. Letting out an annoyed huff, Harry folded his arms and looked around the platform, trying to spot his brother. He wouldn't have gone off with those stupid snakes and left Harry behind, would he? Ron urged Harry to find a boat with him but gave up at the look he received, one he knew better than to argue with. The minutes slowly crept by and finally the platform started to empty as people moved forward.

Cyril waited until the hall was mostly cleared before stepping out of the compartment with Draco and his new friends, rolling his eyes as he saw people pushing and shoving each other to be the first ones out. Honestly, it wasn't like they were all going to the same place... Stupid... Letting out a huff of annoyance, Cyril crossed his arms over his chest and followed the others out, wondering if Harry had chosen to go off with his obnoxious little friends. The thought annoyed him even more than before and clenched his fists tightly to keep from glowering.

Walking out onto the mostly deserted platform, it wasn't hard for Cyril to see that his worry was unfounded since Harry stood only a few feet away, arms crossed just like his own, foot tapping, and glaring off into the dark woods while a large man tried coaxing his little brother to come down to the boats for the first years. Smirking at the sight and his brother's resolute expression, Cyril broke away from a pouting Draco and joined Harry, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders. "Come now Harry, don't you know it's bad manners to ignore the, er... What are you again?" Cyril asked snidely, quirking a brow up at the overly large man who towered over them. The man for his part seem to not know whether to be happy help had arrived or insulted by the newcommer so instead he chose to be just happy. "Well I'ma Hagrid, ya see? The groundskeeper here at Hogworts!" Hagrid spread out his arms wide and smiled- at least, Cyril thought he was smiling, it was too hard to see under that shrubbery on the man's face. Waving a hand dismissively, Cyril looked down to his brother and patted Harry on the head before walking off. "Oh well that's fair game then! Sorry Harry, as you were."

Harry looked from his brother up to the large man named Hagrid and back again before shouting out a quick "Sorry!" and racing off to catch up with Cyril, relief flooding through his chest when he had realized that the other boy hadn't left him behind after all. He spotted Draco Malfoy hanging back by the train with his goons and Harry couldn't resist poking out his tongue before entangling his arm around Cyril's and walking off to the boats down by the water.

* * *

Cyril refused to sit with Harry's friends and Harry refused to sit with the snobs, so the brothers decided on a boat at the very end that they could have all to themselves while everyone else rushed to the front in order to get the first glimpse of the famous castle. Getting into the boat first, Harry chose the front seat which was meant for two however in his eagerness he took up the whole thing with his bouncing and waving arms while he chatted basically to himself. Cyril smiled to himself and relaxed along the back seat, content to just sit back and relax as the boats began to glide over the black moonlit water.

As the fleet of boats rounded a bend the great castle finally came into view, all of it's windows twinkling merrily out at the approaching first years, the evening cool and clear and the stars shining down brightly, all of it combined making a breathtaking picture. Even Harry was rendered speechless for a full four minutes.

"Wow," he breathed out, staring up at the grand castle as they moved across the placid Great Lake. "It's beautiful, isn't it Cyril? And now it's home! I can't wait to try out dad's invisibility cloak and the Marauders' map!" Cyril let out a snort and looked away from his little brother, scanning the water around them when he felt a small, sudden bump. Looking down, Cyril let out a soft gasp when he saw a flash of moonlight reflected off of scales to the left side of their boat, and then another set a few feet away. Tearing his eyes away from the sight, Cyril looked ahead again but not at the castle, instead he took in the other boats and, after a few minutes, realized that there were flashes of scales here and there, and even a tail breaking the water close to the boat just in front of the brothers.

"Yeah, wow," Cyril murmured, frowning in thought until he saw how close to the edge of the boat his little brother was, practically dangling from the side and kneeling on his seat to get what he thought was a better look. Grunting in annoyance, Cyril yanked on the back of Harry's robes and pulled him onto the back seat with him, draping an arm around his shoulders and holding him loosely against his side. If Harry thought that his brother's behavior was a bit odd tonight he didn't make any comment, instead settling into the warmth the other boy provided and staring transfixed up at the castle, obviously dreaming up what mischief he could stir up with his idiot friends.

* * *

Reaching Hogworts by lake was not the fastest travel but all of the first years made it in less than thirty minutes, then it took another ten to get all of the kids on land safely again, and then they were all trooping from the boathouse and up a steep hill to finally emerge just outside of the castle entrance. Cyril wondered what they would have done had the weather been stormy, Harry wondered if he could catch the fireflies and send them home to his mother. The thought made him smile and he reached out to take Cyril's hand as they walked through the entrance door together.

All of the first years gathered in the main hall, maneuvered to stand side by side, mostly girl with boy but Harry and Cyril brought up the end and ignored the others, both lost in thought and, unknowingly, wearing identical looks of determination.

One by one their names were called, followed by the four different houses. Harry held on to Cyril's hand tightly, even after the taller boy's name was called. Looking down at his little brother, Cyril ran his free hand through Harry's messy shoulder length black hair, gave him a rare warm smile, and wiggled the fingers on his captured hand to remind Harry to let go. "I'll see you soon, little brother," Cyril said in parting before walking up the stairs and donning the overly large Sorting Hat.

_'Welcome back Mr. Snape. It's not often I get to say that to a former student but in this case I'm happy to! Especially to such a brilliant mind as yours,' a voice inside of Cyril's head spoke but not his own, and Cyril knew it must be that of the hat's consciousness. But what was it on about? Mr. Snape? He'd never heard the name before... 'Odd indeed... Apparently nowadays you are called Cyril Black, eh? Some dark magic is afoot here my boy, no doubt about that! But that's not my job is it? To clarify your dilema must fall to another, no no I am simply here to sort you... Again, as it would seem. And you have a brother this time around too, eh? Well good for you! I see it's eased your mind some... But you're still as keen, as perceptive, as clever as always... To Ravenclaw with you? No, not with your past, they wouldn't teach you what you need to know... Better be your old favorite-_

__"SLYTHERIN!"

Cyril ripped the hat off of his head before Professor McGonagall and stared at it incredulously. What on earth had all of that been about?! At the sound of polite clapping Cyril finally dragged his eyes away from the beaming hat and the frowning professor and numbly made his way over to the Slytherin table, sitting down numbly beside Draco and completely missing Harry's frown. Harry was about to simply walk over and ask Cyril what was wrong but Ron was holding him back and his name had just been called.

"Harry Potter."

Letting out a sigh, Harry decided to leave it for later and walked up the stairs to take the hat himself. The hat said some things of course but Harry being Harry tuned it out with his worry over his brother...

_'Alright alright Mr. Potter, I can tell you're not listening... Yes, yes I can... You're worried over your brother so lets cut right to the chase... No I will not tell you what I told him, stop asking. So Slytherin would help you along your way, to your destined path- what? Yes I did sort Draco Malfoy into Slytherin... Ron Weasely? He's a Weasely? Yeah, he'll be in Gryffindor if the rest of his family is anything to go by... Okay so, if you're sure... Might want to check your priorities before you graduate... Better be-_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Loud whoops and hollers met Harry's ears when the hat was taken from his head and he smiled over at the rambunctious table before hopping down from the stool and walking over, slapping high fives and shouting hellos to his friends as he sat down between the Weasely twins and waited for Ron to inevitbly join them. Hermione Granger, a muggleborn friend of Neville's Harry had met over the summer joined them and soon all of the first years had been sorted and the feast commenced. Harry enjoyed being with his friends but kept shooting worried looks over to Cyril, who was talking and acting fine but was obviously worried about something.

After dinner ended and the prefects were starting to lead each house to their dorm rooms, Harry asked one of the twins to wait for him to show him the way before bolting after the Slytherins and catching up with Cyril. Ignoring the catcalls, Harry pulled his brother aside and started throwing questions at the taller boy.

"Dammit Harry, stop making a scene. You can't act like this, we're in different houses and I don't need to get alienated on my first night here!"

"But Cy! Maybe we can tell Dumbledor there was a mistake and you can join Gryffindor? They are a lot of fun, you'll love it!"

"No! We'll talk later ok? Maybe this weekend. Come on Harry, we both knew this was likely to happen... You know I'm better in Slytherin and we're too different to be in the same house, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. Like night and day mom says."

"... that's right, and the night and the day do not interact."

"But they still need each other to keep going on," Harry said with a pout, gazing up at his big brother with large puppy like eyes Sirius had no doubt taught him. Cyril couldn't help but smile and pulled his little brother into a tight hug and murmuring against his hair, "I never said I didn't need you." With another rare smile, Cyril let go of Harry and waved his brother off. "Go on midget, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Harry nodded his head, turned and ran back down the hall and away from Cyril and his fellow snakes.

* * *

_*A/N: Alright not much to add, just that I'm not having Harry be a brat but rather showing how much the two are alike and then how different they are. Plus I wanted Harry to have some of his father's swagger, at least until Cyril eventually puts him back in his place! *smirk* Don't forget to review and the next chapter will be up even quicker!_


	6. Chapter 5: For The Love of Brewing

A/N: _Wowee, I can honestly say that I did not expect for this story to get such great feedback from so many of you! I'll be honest, I haven't sat down to write in years and this was just supposed to be a sort of "warm up" to bigger and better things, but you guys are making me want to do this story right so I thank you! Plus my fiance is glad I'm not bugging him for feedback anymore lol! _

_To clear the air a bit on the last chapter, I know the Sorting Hat didn't say those exact words to Harry in the book or movie but this story line has been drastically changed by these main points of interest-_

_Lily is alive_

_Voldemort is still alive_

_Severus has been transformed and both he and Harry are given what they never had before- a (mostly) loving home and a brother to lean on._

_So this story is going to follow canon as much as possible to the extent these events will allow. I hope you guys understand and bear with me, I promise I'll make it worth the confusing twists and turns with creature blood, brotherly love, and Quidditch boys! ;)_

_Now on to chapter five, reviewer responses will be on the bottom!_

* * *

__**Chapter Five: For The Love of Brewing!**

Despite being a normally very heavy sleeper, Harry found himself tossing and turning all night long, his mind filling up with worry and doubts after the lights had been turned off. The moonlight had shone brightly through the windows and Harry had stared at it all night long, listening to the sounds of the sleeping school as he lay wide awake and fretting. Would he like learning outside of his mother's house in an actual school? There had been a school back in Godric's Hallow but it only taught the basics in math, muggle science, reading and writing and ect... This would be different, he'd finally be able to exercise his magic like mum said they were supposed to.

_'It's like a muscle, you see sweetie?' Lily said, stretching out her arm and flexing it back and forth, smiling down at a grinning Harry. 'If you don't take care of it and excerscise it properly then it will never reach it's full potential. You can't move too fast though, but I know that Hogworts is going to teach you properly and you're going to make me so proud!'_

__Harry smiled softly at the memory and hugged his pillow to his chest, feeling a dull ache in his chest from missing her and Sirius so much. The rest of the night was spent in much the same way, with his mind jumping from his mother to classes to making new friends and avoiding Cyril's stuck up ones, and then finally they landed on Cyril himself. What had happened during the Sorting that put his brother on edge like that? The hat had taken a while to place the taller boy for sure but what else had it said? Harry could remember bits and pieces of what it had said to him, something about destiny? Well that was weird... Was it about the Dark Lord? But he was locked away in Azkaban mum had said and their family was now safe...

Little did Harry know that he wasn't the only first year wide awake throughout the night, Cyril Black was laying in his own bed with his narrowed dark eyes glaring up at the canopy of his four poster bed, mulling over the incident with the Sorting Hat as well. 'Dark magic' the hat had said, and who the hell was Mr. Snape? Why did the musty old hat think he was this Snape fellow? Maybe they were related somehow... Cyril decided to send off a letter to Lily in the morning just to check and see if the name rang any bells with the woman. It would be faster and more thorough to simply write to his father and ask but Cyril had given up on seeking help from that mangy mutt long ago...

With both brothers getting very little sleep their first night at Hogworts it was no surprise that both woke up with equally fowl moods the next morning.

Ron had had to literally pull Harry from his bed and help him get dressed just so they would make it down to the Great Hall in time to catch some food, Dean and Seamus not being of any use whatsoever and simply stood back laughing at the spectacle the two boys made while Neville carried Harry and Ron's bags and trotted along after them. The Gryffindor first year boys finally made it and began eating everything in sight while the girls looked on in disgust and Prof. McGonagall began passing out their schedules. Over at the Slytherin table Cyril and Draco sat side by side again but Cyril paid the blond haired boy no mind as he chattered on, instead focusing in on his little brother and his ridiculous comrades. "He hasn't even tried to brush his hair this morning," Cyril tsked under his breath and Draco looked up from his bacon, egg and avocado sandwhich to pout. "What? Don't tell me you're on about Potter again! Cyril you haven't been listening to a word I've said, and I've said some pretty interesting stuff!" Cyril looked down at Draco and quirked a brow in interest before speaking.

"Have you? About what, pray tell?" He asked barely hiding a smirk, knowing for a fact that Draco had merely been complaining that the headmaster hadn't allowed him to bring his favorite hair tonic to school since it contained some ingredients harvested from rare and endangered baby magical creatures.

Draco blanched at being called out and turned a faint shade of pink as he blushed and looked away. "Oh all sorts of things."

"...Really?" Cyril pried, leaning forward on his elbows and peering down at the other Slytherin, looking down his nose in a fashion quite like his former self, not that he knew that of course.

"Yes but you weren't paying attention and I'm not going to repeat myself," Draco rushed out and quickly stood after Horace Slughorn, their head of house and a man that was completely useless in Cyril's opinion, had given them their schedules. "Come now, lets head off to Potions! We will want to get some good seats!" And with that the blond walked off, school bag thrown over his shoulder and a strut in his walk, obviously expecting Cyril to be right behind him like the boys other lackeys, Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson.

With a snort of amusement, Cyril stayed right where he was and looked out over the hall again to find his little brother, finding Draco's jealousy cute but only in small doses. He waited until Harry and his friends were about to leave the hall before lazily raising a hand to get his brother's attention.

Harry had spent all of breakfast trying to wake up, going so far as to filch George Weasely's coffee right from under his nose while he chatted up a pretty girl named Angelina about Quidditch. That was another thing Harry was nervous about, Sirius had been so sure that Harry would make Seeker next year but Harry wasn't too sure. He was good on a broom, no doubt about it, but that was during fun matches against friends and occasionally Cyril when he got his brother up on a broom. He didn't know how he'd manage against people who actually took the sport seriously...

Biting his lower lip, Harry's eyes reflexively scanned the whole Hall before landing on his brother's waving hand. Harry let out a happy sound and abandoned his coffee and friends to walk over to the Slytherin table and sit down across it from Cyril who grinned back at him. "You don't look so good Potter," Cyril started out playfully, taking in the dark circles under his brother's bright green eyes and actually being surprised when he noticed the color made them stand out more. If Harry had been a girl and wearing eyeliner, like their mother did, he's eyes would probably glow! Harry poked his tongue out at Cyril and waved a hand in the taller brother's direction. "Look who's talking! What's the matter, you and Malfoy up all night chit chatting and doing each others nails?" Harry shot back playfully and leaned back just in time to miss a bit of blueberry muffin flying at his head.

"Very funny you little twit," Cyril said with a mock growl before smirking again. "Where you and Weasely up all night playing with your hair?" Cyril reached out and ruffled Harry's long locks but Harry quickly batted his hand away, blushing at the familiar jibe. "Oh shut it, jealous much?" Cyril was about to make another scathing remark when he noticed the death glares his housemates were sending Harry and too late he realized his faux pass. People were even leaning away from the small Gryffindor and holding their noses as if he carried the Black Death instead of just wearing red and gold colors. How childish could you be! And some of them were even in their seventh year! Letting out an impatient grunt, Cyril stood up and waved Harry to the door. "Nevermind, come on Harry, where's your first class?" He asked sharply and began walking to the door, his school bag resting snug against his side as the brothers made their way out.

Neither realized that a pair of twinkling blue eyes were studying them thoughtfully while their own housemates were glaring.

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Harry sat with Ron on one side and Hermione Granger on the other, glaring at a table at the very front of the classroom that held Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Cyril Black. His brother had quickly put his foot down about them spending too much time together around everyone else after the trouble in the great Hall but Harry had still tried to partner up with him in Potions. Malfoy was quick to worm his way in between them though and Harry had been left grumbling and glaring from across the room while Ron insisted that Cyril was right and Harry would be best to just stick to his "own kind"... Whatever that meant... Hermione for her part thought that Harry was going about it the wrong way but that his intentions were right in wanting to stay close with his brother. This of course started those two to bicker and Harry was left to working on their potion in between glaring and nodding his head at whatever Hermione or Ron said.

Cyril for his part was having the time of his life! Never had he felt so comfortable and at home, even in his own home! From as soon as he had stepped into the classroom, smelt the poignant air, took in the long tables and jet black cauldrons Cyril had been hooked. There was something so subtly beautiful about the art of potions making that Cyril knew he was hooked for life. Everything else was tuned out and Draco and Blaise were brushed aside as Cyril took control of the potion making.

Finally when he had completed said potion, Draco and Blaise were lost in conversation and all of the students seemed to be struggling- even Harry, who he saw still hadn't forgiven him for dismissing him as a partner. With nothing else to do and a burning desire to learn more about his new obsession, Cyril walked to the front of the class and asked to borrow some books. Slughorn was only too happy to sing his praises and let him take whatever books were in the closet set aside to be used for spare books, cauldrons, utensils, ect. Cyril picked up a second and third year book then, on a whim, took a fourth year book as well. Draco gave him a horrified look and Blaise called him a bookworm but Cyril tuned them out again and was soon lost in his reading, barely registering when Slughorn came around to check and declared his potion a masterpiece!

The rest of the day went by in a blur for Cyril and the thought of writing Lily that morning was pushed to the side by his new found love for potions.

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_**Meanwhile in Godric's Hallow...**_

_****_Lily sat at the kitchen table, flipping through a large and colorful photo album bursting to the seems with pictures. In the beginning it was picture of James, Lily, Sirius, Remus and even Peter as children, showcasing all of their happy times inside the walls of Hogworts. As the years passed the pages became more and more full of pictures until finally it reached the Golden years as Lily liked to think of them, that happy period just after school and before the tragedy that befell her happy little family...

There was one page, front and back, dedicated to the late James Potter, a page well worn from all of the times Lily had turned to it and, later on in the years, Harry had as well. From Quidditch to simply lazying around, James' smiling face and goofy expressions never failed to make their hearts constrict with fond memory, loving happiness, and an aching longing...

After that sombre page there were many many more featuring Harry and Cyril, from babies onwards... The boys sleeping in the same bed when they were two years old, Harry splayed all over the bed and Cyril curled up in a ball against his brother's side. Cyril at four years old, surrounded by books and Harry laying on the floor, coloring pictures. Harry at age six riding on his very first broom while Cyril ran underneath him with a large pillow, looking terrified for his little brother who was instead shouting with glee. Birthday parties, holidays spent with family and friends, and everything else... Lily had made sure to capture it all. And in each and every picture of Cyril she could always pick out a facial expression or turn of the body that she could relate back to her old childhood friend.

Flipping through the last few pages, Lily stopped at the back of the book and opened a small envelope that was secured to the back cover and hidden under a disillusionment charm. With slightly trembling fingers, Lily pulled out a very old and monochrome colored photograph. In the photo Lily smiled down at the pair, a much younger version of herself in her brand new Hogworts robes with a shabby but still smiling (or smirking, rather) eleven year old Severus Snape.

Taking in a shaky breath, Lily gently caressed the smiling and shifting figures lovingly before packing the picture away and closing the photo album, bending down and pressing her forehead to the hard cover before letting out a choked sob.

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*_A/n: __**REVIEWER RESPONSES! **__If you didn't review then I guess you can just keep moving or, ya know, REVIEW! lol! Thanks again guys!_

xxxx-voices-xxxx 9/3/12 . chapter 5

Yay! More!  
Very good!

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**Lol! Your wish is my command my dear! I hope this is what you wanted! 3**

Nightshade's sydneylover150 9/3/12 . chapter 5

Interesting, more?

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**Certainly! Oh and I LOVE your icon. *pets the Sev***

risi 9/3/12 . chapter 5

I thought they would be in different houses, but I didn't expect the Hat to recognize Severus. I wonder if he will talk to Lily first or bide his time and do some investigating first. Will he tell Harry? Will Harry be able to keep a secret? I wonder what Dumbledore will make of it all?

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**Not only one but two reviews from you? Consider my day made dear! ;)**

**The reason why I had the hat recognize Severus is because the only way he has changed is in body and partial mind, in the deep recesses of his mind he's still the same snarky man we all know and love, which I hope will become more apparent as I write. Indeed Severus is still in there, which you'll see the as he gets older and his memories begin to return. As you can see he did want to ask Lily first but he IS eleven years old and, although he's very mature for his age he's still a child. Soon however he'll remember to ask and Lily will be in for a rude shock. And Dumbledor if you'll recall from the first chapter was who Lily and Sirius went to for help. The polyjuice potion and keeping everything a secret was all (surprise surprise) his idea. As for Harry... Well I'll leave that for later! ;)**

risi 9/3/12 . chapter 4

I'm not sure my review made it or if it came through as "guest", but I'll try again. I really like this story, it's very different from other stories I've read. I wonder if Severus is sleeping in the back of Cyril's mind or if he's really gone. I hope he isn't gone. I'm glad Harry and Cyril get on so well, too bad Sirius is such child and thank goodness Lily is there to keep some balance. I hope Harry and Cyril get into the same house, but I suspect they will go to different houses. Can't wait to read the next chapter.

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**I'm very glad you tried again rather than giving up! Cookies for you! :P Some of your questions I've answered above but as far as Sirius goes well, you either love or hate the man and unfortunately he just can't let some things go... But don't worry! I do love Sirius, he just needs someone to pull his head from out of his bum! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please keep letting me know what you think!**

**Cheers!~**

Malum-Nympharum 9/2/12 . chapter 3

Going really well so far! carry on writing :D

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**Will do! Thank you for taking the time to review and letting me know you're out there!**

Howl of Time 8/31/12 . chapter 1

Cool! Can't wait for the next chapter.

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**Wait no longer dear! lol! If you haven't read this since the prologue then I think you have a bit of catch up to do! ;)**


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